Although the prior art teaches many devices for mounting tools to a wall, all of these teachings demonstrate limitations that the present invention addresses and overcomes.
For example, storing tools and equipment in structures and on vehicles in a safe and efficient manner that can accommodate all of the needs of a business or other entity is a widespread problem. Non-uniform equipment, different truck manufacturers, local needs, budget constraints, hard to mount bulky equipment, the need for uniformity in equipment layout, and the like, are issues that fire departments and/or industrial/commercial/residential buildings, for example, throughout the world face when determining how to outfit an emergency vehicle or building for service. Considering that fire apparatus, for example, may cost upward of a million dollars, few agencies if any can afford to outfit their entire department fleet. The vast majority of departments have only a few vehicles that are replaced, for example, one at a time every ten to twenty years or more. Similarly, most fire departments employ a wide assortment of different tools and equipment that due to size, hazards, and configuration, that are difficult to store in an arrangement where they are easily accessible yet safely transported.
To combat this problem, for example, many departments employ a firefighter that specializes in outfitting his department's trucks with tools to best fulfill that department's unique needs. Since most fire apparatus are constructed with a variety of materials, this task can easily become extremely complicated. This can create a dilemma if the specialist is on vacation during the outfitting of the truck, transfers to a different fire station, or retires. The firefighter must not only be familiar with the local department's equipment, but he often has to have extensive knowledge in woodworking, metal working, plumbing, electrical systems, engineering, and the like. If the individual makes mistakes in installation, many departments choose to live with the mistakes rather than correct them due to the time and expense of keeping the truck out of service. This can lead to inefficiency or even a dangerous condition during an emergency situation if a tool is urgently needed but is difficult to access. These “mistakes” in installation could potentially hinder emergency responders during the entire life of the vehicle.
Currently, many departments mount tools directly to stainless steel or aluminum walled compartments or other vehicle surfaces with a wide array of fastening devices. Others make wood backer boards to affix to the compartment wall or employ an expensive commercially made mounting board, tray, or movable panel system. The most common deficiency in all of these solutions is that they are difficult to modify once installed on the vehicle. Once a system is mounted or installed on a vehicle, it often is semi-permanent. Fire equipment and tools used in firefighting are constantly evolving and being replaced to meet changing needs. Therefore, a system that is easily modifiable once in place would be extremely desirable.
Another issue is that compartment space on a fire apparatus is limited. Departments need the ability to get the most efficient and maximum storage capability out of every vehicle. Considering the wide variety of emergencies, every additional tool or piece of equipment that a fire truck can carry is critical and potentially lifesaving. A hanger board apparatus that allows for the maximum efficiency in use of compartment space that is easily modifiable by those without specialized skills to keep up with the most current equipment would be advantageous.
While space maximization and ease of modification are significant issues by themselves, aesthetics are also important to fire departments. A fire truck is a common sight at a parade, a school safety demonstration, or other situation where the public expects to see a shiny polished fire truck. Aluminum, brushed stainless steel, and wood backed compartments are difficult to keep clean, unscratched, and polished considering the conditions that they and the tools mounted therein must endure on a daily basis. Oil, dirt, soot, and other contaminants are common. Since the public, especially children, commonly come in contact with these vehicles, a storage system should be easily cleanable not just for aesthetics, but for public safety.
Wall-based storage components that employ rails, channels, holes, and slots are well known in the art. For example, pegboards allow a user to accommodate objects of different sizes and shapes in a customized array. U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,091 to Goodman et al., uses a modified form of a pegboard where permanently attached hooks clamp upon pressure allowing a tool to be pressed onto the board and still hang from a hook. This allows the prior art invention to adapt to the size and shape of different objects and permits easy rearrangement and versatility in tool layout. However, the prior art invention would not be well suited to mounting in a vehicle compartment. The hooks retract backward and would be prevented from functioning by the back wall of the compartment. The only way that this could be used in a vehicle would be to place it far enough forward in the compartment to permit the hook retraction at the expense of limited valuable compartment space. Another limitation is that the only mounting hardware are hooks which significantly limit the type of tools that are held.
In yet another prior art tool hanging device, U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,866 to Kesinger utilizes a track hanger assembly with a T-shaped longitudinal channel that uses commercially available hangers to hold tools. However, the prior art invention also has limitations that restrict its use in a vehicle compartment. The invention teaches a channel track which would only permit horizontal storage. Another problem that it does not solve is mounting equipment that does not hang from a bracket, for example a can of gasoline or a chain saw. Additionally, the fact that it is a track and not a mounting board limits the efficient use of space throughout an entire vehicle compartment.
Another example of a prior art invention for hanging tools that could be used in a vehicle compartment is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,435 to Young. This extruded aluminum mounting channel assembly uses a channel with repositionable glass/nylon inserts for holding tools or brackets. While it allows for repositionable tool mounting on either a horizontal axis or a vertical axis only, it suffers many other limitations for ideal tool mounting in a vehicle compartment. For example, the extruded aluminum is manufactured in 8 and five eighths inch widths and 10 foot lengths. While the length can be cut to fit, the width cannot be modified because of the extrusion. Therefore, attempting to fit an entire compartment with these panels would likely leave a significant amount of unused wall space. Another restriction is that it requires specialized hardware to mount tools and only accepts number 10 screws. Additionally, extruded aluminum is expensive and cannot be easily re-machined or cleaned. Also there is a danger of a chemical interaction leading to corrosion between dissimilar metals if it contacts steel or other metals commonly used in vehicles or attaching hardware. These deficiencies, as well as others prevent this assembly from being an ideal mounting platform in many vehicle compartments.
Therefore, a need remains for an economical tool and equipment mounting platform for a structure or vehicle compartment that is easy to manufacture, machine, and reconfigure that can maximize the efficiency of each individual space that is easy to instill and relocate, adjustable, easy to clean, and has the ability to simultaneously mount tools on both a horizontal, vertical and angular axis using a wide variety of existing hardware. More specifically, a need exists for an adjustable hanger board assembly apparatus that allows for customized vehicle compartment tool mounting in vehicles comprising fire department apparatus, emergency vehicles, ambulances, military vehicles, construction vehicles, both residential and commercial real estate and other location known by those of skill in the art, or by use in any agency that utilizes mounting platforms and a method of the same.